Only Santa Knows
by ThroughTheMonsoon
Summary: Could you really hit two birds with one stone? And do gifts really matter so much?  It's a Christmas fic posted in the beginning of March! It's not late, I just really planned it that way.


**A/N: **So… A new fic at hand! This is a Christmas fic that I did just this month. And yes, I planned to put this up this March because I thought it would be a great irony to have winter in the middle of March. Yay for my stupidity! :D

**A/N2: **I was looking at Shiraishi's picture just right now, so I went berserk. I mean, COME ON. Try staring at him. You'll giggle until you lose your mind. Like me.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Prince of Tennis. You don't own it either. You don't have the right to criticize me in my decisions to humiliate myself. GET A LIFE, if you're reading this.

**Warning: **I like pie. And I also probably do look like a five year old. RANDOM FACTS!11

**Dedicated to Denise Sabio, one of my greatest friends. :D**

**ONLY SANTA KNOWS**

**By ThroughTheMonsoon**

Christmas is arriving sooner than Shishido wishes. He doesn't really bear any grudge on this holiday; he just really, really, _really_ doesn't have a gift for his favorite kouhai yet.

As he makes rounds for one more time in the mall, he text messages all his teammates (except Choutarou, of course) and asked them what their gift was for Ootori. He was damn clueless on what his doubles partner was interested in.

However, the only reply he received was from the stupid circus freak Gakuto, who said, "_Why should I tell you? SPY!"_

Shishido blinked, and then grumpily stuffed his phone back into his pocket. He didn't want to get Choutarou anything he didn't seem particularly interested in, and also he wanted to give the boy something special that's not so easily spotted in the market, so he kept staring at the floor tiles as he walked on. And of course, not taking into consideration that he might hit himself against something, he bumped into someone.

"Ho-ho-ho! Merry Christmas, my boy!"

_Santa Claus…?_

Shishido looked up, "Merry Christmas to you too, sir."

The mall Santa gave another laugh. "So, lad, have you made your wish list?"

"No sir," replied the capped player. Why should he? It's for little immature children, writing Santa wish lists, isn't it? Besides, Santa isn't real. Obviously, this season, fakers are everywhere.

"Well then," Santa said, "Write your wishes here and it'll all come true! Ho-ho-ho!" The fat man handed Shishido a Christmas-themed stationary. "Just make sure you drop it in here before Christmas Eve!"

"Domo arigatou," mumbled Shishido as he turned away.

_Write_ _your wishes here and it'll all come true… "_That happens? Really? Wow, I'd like to see how! All I have to do is write that I want a pet unicorn then Santa will give me one, right?" Shishido talked to himself sarcastically.

_My only wish is to know what Choutarou wants for Christmas…_

That's it! He'll just have to give this scrap of colorful paper to the kid and then he'll say that he's gonna drop it off along with his own wish list before the 24th!

_Man, I'm a genius,_ thought Shishido smugly.

*O*O*O*O*O*

The doorbell rung, and Choutarou, notwithstanding the fact that he was all alone, said, "I'll get it!" He ran to the entrance and slowly pulled the white wooden door open.

"Hey."

"Sh-Shishido-san!"

"Yeah, what's up?" Shishido nodded.

"Oh… Not much, senpai. My mom and dad aren't here right now, so I'm alone baking gingerbread cookies," replied Choutarou.

The smaller boy raised an eyebrow, seeing for once Choutarou in a white, freshly-stained apron, his hair in the usual disarray, and a dash of flour on his face.

"C-Come in, Shishido-san," and the second year stepped away from the threshold. He took his senpai's coat and hung it.

Shishido took off his snow shoes (which are relatively stylish) and stepped into the living room. He has visited the Ootori Residence a lot of times now, but never can he get over its colossal whiteness. He always wondered how they kept it clean and never got it stained.

"Would you like some hot chocolate?" Choutarou offered as Shishido followed him into the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure."

Shishido sat at a bar stool right in front of the island bar counter where Choutarou's batter waited. Shishido stared at it, thinking of how he would give the paper to Choutarou himself.

Choutarou, meanwhile, mixed up two cups of his homemade hot chocolate and gently lid them on the counter in front of Shishido.

"It's a good time for you to come, senpai," started Choutarou in the silence.

"Why? Something you need me for?"

"W-Well… Actually…" The silver-haired kid shook his head. "Nevermind." He headed back to his batter and rolled it out into a sheet.

Slowly cutting the sheet into tiny gingerbread men, Choutarou felt his senpai's eyes on him. Turning an interesting shade of pink (salmon, perhaps?), he moved the cookie cutter away and sighed nervously.

"Sh-Shishido-san… I really have to ask you something," he finally said.

Shishido looked up and nodded for him to continue.

"Th-That is… Um…"

"Spit it out, Choutarou."

"Well… It's… What do you want for Christmas?" Choutarou mumbled.

Shishido blinked. It was his time to fluster. He only wanted one thing, and he knew he couldn't have it.

"I don't want anything," he said when he gathered his thoughts.

"D-Demo... I can get it for you. Anything you want! Even though it's expensive, I'll still get it for Shishido-san!"

"It's not expensive, Choutarou. It's just really impossible to get."

"Nothing's impossible to get, senpai. If you really want it, there will always be a way."

Smiling kindly, Choutarou had that far-away look that made his eyes glisten.

Time stopped, and Shishido's breathing became restricted. He could hear his own heartbeat in his ears. He blinked and came back to his senses almost immediately, coughing awkwardly.

"Umm, so, yeah. Tell you what. Before I say what I really want for Christmas, you have to write down your wish list in this paper." Shishido passed the stationary to Choutarou. "I filled up mine, and I was about to drop it in when I found out I had two."

Choutarou glanced at the paper, then at the face of the third year he knew so well.

"Sure, Shishido-san. Anything for you," he smiled.

Shishido's breath hitched, and suddenly he didn't want to lie anymore. But he shook his head.

"Alright, I'll go to the fireplace and warm up, you fill that in since I'm heading back to mall right after." He stood up and went to defrost himself, his ears already warm but not from the fire.

*O*O*O*O*O*

Choutarou came out a while later, taking his apron off and his checkered pajamas wrinkled. His gray shirt fit him so well, his toned muscles showed in little details that would make any of his fangirls drool.

"Sorry it took long, Shishido-san," said the tall second year as he gave the paper back to Shishido.

"It's fine. I gotta go drop the papers to the mall." Wow. Shishido is particularly awesome at lying.

"Aren't you gonna stay for a little snack? The cookies are almost done."

"Nah, I really gotta go," the smaller boy rearranged his cap and stood up. He pocketed the stationary and grabbed his coat from the rack.

He turned to say goodbye when he saw his doubles partner looking at his reflection and notice his tuft of flour-dusted hair. He ruffled it and, predictably, it got messier.

"Okay, bye," muttered Shishido.

His kouhai heard, and walked him to the door.

"Shishido-san."

"Nani?"

"You've got…" Choutarou bended a little and brushed off a spot of flour on Shishido's cheek. "Done," he said as he stood up straight again.

Shishido turned around and said a quick thanks. He ran off to the direction of the bus stop, huffing, but not due to fatigue.

Choutarou merely smiled.

*O*O*O*O*O*

Shishido searched the mall quickly for that fat old jolly man he met earlier in this mall. He stopped abruptly, remembering that he went through all that trouble to know what Choutarou's wish was.

Laughing breathlessly at himself, he groped for the stationary in his pocket. Once he got it out, he unfolded it and read the content.

_Choutarou's Wish List_

_3. A new violin._

Shishido rolled his eyes.

_2. Mukahi-senpai and Oshitari-senpai to stop PDAs_

Well that would be… Useful.

His phone rung, and then there was number one.

*O*O*O*O*O*

Choutarou put his apron back on, about to head to the kitchen, when he saw Shishido's coat on the rack.

Wait. _What?_

He checked the coat. It wasn't his mom's, nor his dad's, and it was definitely not his. It has to be Shishido's coat.

The silver-haired boy decided to call his senpai. He took out his phone and searched through the contacts for Shishido. It was a new phone, an early gift from his grandmother. She urged him to use it, and he did. It was a nice phone.

He found Shishido's number and clicked the left button. As he put the phone in against his ear, the worst sound came out of the speaker.

"_Contact deleted."_

That's right! The left button was a 'c'! Stupid new phone!

Groaning, he thought of where to get Shishido's number again. Staring at the coat, he blinked and then searched the pockets for something, _anything._

Finally, he came across a small black book. He opened it, and, just his luck, information was scribbled into the first page.

_If found, please return to Shishido Ryo_

_Contact number: xxxxx_

_Hyoutei Gakuen_

He punched in the digits and put the phone against his ear.

"_Moshi-moshi."_

"A-Anno… Shishido-san… You left your coat."

"_Eh?_" A short pause, and the sound of shuffling. "_Oh yeah. I got the wrong one. I'll be there, just a minute."_

"No! I-I'll take it there!"

"_No. Wait for me. Bye." _A click.

Choutarou sighed and put the black book on the edge of the coffee table. It fell with a thud and out tumbled a small folded paper. Curious, Choutarou unfolded it slowly. On top of the paper were two neatly scribbled sentences.

_This is Shishido Ryo's wish list. Turn back and die._

The silver-haired boy continued reading. He knew Shishido won't kill him. Besides, he didn't keep his side of the bargain that when Choutarou writes his wish list, Shishido would tell him what he wants.

_5. Another year at Hyoutei_

_4. A new phone_

_3. A car_

_2. My own house_

_1. Choutarou reciprocating my feelings_

Wait, what? _Choutarou reciprocating my feelings?_ What's that supposed to mean?

"But I do reciprocate how Shishido-san feels… I mean, h-he thinks of me as his best friend and I think of him as mine," Choutarou quietly told himself over the roar of the fire.

"But what if he felt differently?"

_Differently how?,_ he thought.

"Like… a good differently…?"

And then the doorbell rang.

Choutarou opened it, and saw his parents hauling in bags of presents. Being the nice kid he was, he went and helped them.

After a long while of opening, rearranging and stowing bags of presents in the attic, another ring from the doorbell sounded.

"I'll get it." The second year hurried to the door.

He looked outside the window. It was dark. Probably, it was six in the evening. Taking note of the darkness outside, he slowly opened the door. Who could it be?

"Hey, sorry if I'm a bit late," apologized the boy on the threshold, flustered.

"O-Oh, senpai. It's you."

"Well, yeah. I decided to take a cab but there was this huge traffic jam on the way, so…" explained Shishido, still slightly panting.

"It's alright, Shishido-san."

The visitor took off the coat he was wearing. "By the way, here's your coat." He shivered.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Choutarou ran to get Shishido's coat, and snatched the black book up as well.

His senpai immediately put the coat on when he gave it to him. "Thanks."

"W-Would you like to stay for dinner?" fumbled the younger boy.

"Nah, I have to go feed my dog."

"A-Ah… Right…"

Shishido turned to leave, his thoughts waging war inside his head.

_If I don't do this,_ he thought, _Choutarou's wish might not come true. But what if he gets mad? But still… I promised myself to make his wish come true…_

Shishido groaned inwardly. _Ah, fuck it. I'm leaving._

As he took one step away, Choutarou caught his wrist.

"Shishido-san, wait!" He pulled the said boy back.

"Nani?" demanded Shishido irritably. He made up his mind to not bother anymore, to not think of Choutarou's wish, but with the boy's hand grasping hard on his wrist, it was hard not to.

Choutarou spun the agitated boy around to face him.

In the distance, a flying sleigh passed the moon, bells jingling merrily, but was gone unnoticed.

"Look," the taller boy pointed up. He decided to make his own wish of getting his first kiss come true by himself, along with making Shishido's.

Shishido looked up, and his face was priceless.

Choutarou lowered his head and murmured, "Mistletoe." He pulled his senpai's face up to his.

Who knew one kiss would solve two wishes?

Santa did.


End file.
